I have a Server 2000 domain DNS XXX.local and i need to upgrade the Server Hardware and the software. So i am putting in a NEW server with Server 2003 std. I have installed the server in a test lab and all is working well.
The problem comes in when i want my existing 130 clients to connect to the Server 2003 domain.
I tested it by using my notebook, the server DHCP and DNS are all exactly the same as my old server 2000 only that it is now Server 2003. but the notebook and a desktop from the old server domain do not connect even though permissions and passwords are still the same.

I had to join back to workgroup and then rejoin the notebook to the server domain, if i have to do this for 130 clients it could take days.
How can they logon to the new server even though all the settings are the same as the old server?
How can i fix my problem with the clients connecting to the new domain?

Since you installed the new machine in a test lab, you've created a different domain than your original one, same name or not.
dcpromo down the machine, change the name to something different than the old DC if it has currently the same name, delete any DNS zones that might still be there, set the DHCP service to disabled; then join it to the current domain.
Upgrade the current domain's schema (see links below).
Change the DNS zones on your current DC to AD integrated.
dcpromo the new server; do NOT create any DNS zones manually. After the initial replication, the DNS zones should appear.
Make the new machine a Global Catalog.
Unauthorize the DHCP service on the old server, disable it, start the one on the new one, authorize it.
Transfer the FSMO roles to the new machine.
Change the clients' TCP/IP settings to use the new server.
dcpromo down the old machine (this will remove the AD integrated zones from this machine), shut it down.
Assuming you now don't have any W2k DCs left now, raise the domain and forest functional level to Server 2003 (to be able to rename the new DC).
Rename the new DC to the name of the old one.

OK, don't panic, there's always a way out. Looks like you set up a brand new 2K3 server, but did you make it a domain controller in your existing domain ? And if you did, did you run the forestprep / domainprep utlity, which is absolutely necessary when running in mixed mode ?

There are 2 possibilities :

1. You are adding the 2K3 server to an existing domain / forest. In that case, if you run the proper utlities, and make sure FSMO roles are at the right place, no problem.
2. You are creating a brand new domain on your 2K3 server, in that case, you have to MIGRATE your users from your old domain.

Please let us know what you exactly did, and what you exactly want to achieve.

Am have a new machine and the domain info is the same as the old one. So i will actually need to migrate the users.
what would be the easiest way, script? would that work or what would the steps be other than what i did with my notebook?

if the easiest way is to add the new server on my current domain and do the other steps then i will begin, just seems like a load more work?!

The easiest way is to upgrade your domain. To start with, you won't be able to establish a trust between if the two domains are named the same, so that excludes the ADMT. So you'll end up exactly with what you did not want to do: rejoining 130 machines to the new domain, exporting the users to a text file, importing them in the new domain, copying 130 user profiles, ... That's a lot more work than upgrading your domain.
It's not as frightening as it looks, and most of the things to do are basic AD admin work.
If you want to test the upgrade, get Virtual Server, create a W2k test domain similar to yours, and upgrade it.
Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/virtualserver/default.mspx

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PhilstarfishAuthor Commented: 2006-06-11

thanks to all for your help, i had to rejoin all clients, time was a problem and some that just asked for credentials are giving errors on the server logs as no trust between server and client so i will rejoin all users like a new domain!!